Floor-rubber.



' No.v 863,220. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

0. o. QUIMBY. FLOOR RUBBER.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 12, 1903.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co, WASHINGTON, D. c.

CHARLES O. QUIMBY, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLOOR-RUBBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1 3, 1907.

Application filed October 12. 1903. Serial No. 176,622.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. QUI BY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wakefield in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Floor-Rubbers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to floorrubbers or brushes such as are used to clean, wax, polish or otherwise operate upon a floor, and particularly to that class of floor-rubbers or brushes that are constructed with a holder or reservoir for wax, water or the like, from which the contents is delivered as needed for use on the floor.

The object of my invention is to provide a very simple and conveniently operated floor-rubber of this class which may be used for the purposes above noted, and also to provide a floor-rubber of generally improved construction.

My improved floor-rubber comprises a head provided with a mop, or the like, adjacent to which is arranged a holder or reservoir provided with an outlet and connected to the head so that it normally occupies a position above the head with the outlet upon the upper side thereof and can be moved bodily in one direction into a position at one side of the head with the outlet at the under side of the reservoir, or so that it can be moved bodily in the opposite direction back into its normal position above the head with the outlet at the upper side of the reservoir.

In the best form of my invention means is also provided for securing the reservoir in either one of the two positions it is adapted to occupy. The advantages of this construction are that the contents of the reservoir may be delivered from the latter directly onto the floor at one side of the head;- that when in position above the head the reservoir does not interfere with the use of the rubber or prevent its being used in very close quarters; that when in either position the reservoir is held so that more or less violent movements of the floor-rubber will not displace it, and also that the reservoir may be socured in position to discharge constantly upon the floor while the floor-rubber is in use.

Other features of my invention are hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of the head of a floor-rubber embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the upper part oi the floor-rubber shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the upper end of the handle of the floor-rubber shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a slightly modified form of holder. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Having reference to the drawings,a represents the head and a the handle of my improved floor-rubber. Alongside and above head a is arranged a cylindrical holder or reservoir 1) provided at its ends with arms I) pivotally connected at b to the ends of head a. Reservoir b is made with an inlet opening b closed by are- Inovable cap I), and through this opening b liquid wax, or water, or the like, may be supplied to the reservoir. Reservoir b is also made with a longitudinal series of outlets b and also with a lower longitudinal series of outlets I) both series of outlets opening into a trough b provided on the outside of reservoir 1). On the outside of reservoir 1) is also fixed an ear I) to which is pivotally connected one end of a link a pivotally connected at its opposite end to a sleeve 0 mounted to slide on the handle a. By sliding sleeve 0 on handle a the reservoir may be swung on pivots b'- forward, and to one side of head a, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 or back into the position shown by full lines. For securing the holder b in its retracted position I provide a latch d fixed in a recess (Z in handle a and adapted to engage and lock sleeve 0 in one extreme position as shown in Fig. 3, with reservoir 1) above head a. To free sleeve 0 the operator depresses latch (Z and slides sleeve 0 over it down the handle. Movement of sleeve 0 toward head a is limited by a stop-pin e fixed to handle a and against which sleeve 0 is held by the weight of link 0, and reservoir 1) and its contents.

When the reservoir b occupies its upper position, the outlets b, b and the mouth of trough b are above the level of the contents of said reservoir, but when the latter is swung on pivots b forwardly to one side of head a, reservoir 1; is also turned and outlets 12 b, and trough b are carried below the contents of reservoir b with the result that said contents discharge through openings b 1) into trough b and from the latter onto the floor. This bodily movement of reservoir 1) around axis Z) instead of on its own axis which not only carries said reservoir fromabove to one side of head a, or vice versa, but also turns reservoir b and thereby carries the outlets of reservoir 1) above or below said reservoir and its contents, is an important feature of my invention and one that I believe is wholly new with me.

As will be seen from Fig. 2 the outlets b, b are so arranged that the discharge of the contents of holder 1) may be regulated by varying the distance reservoir 1) is swung forward. Thus by fixing the reservoir in different angular positions the discharge of the contents thereof may be regulated. To secure the reservoir in any one of its different angular positions a number of stop pins f are provided each yieldingly mounted in a socket provided for it in handle a between the rigid stop pin 6 and latch d. Each stop pin f is adapted to hold sleeve 0 in a different position on handle a and in this way support reservoir 1; in different angularpositions so as to secure a regulated discharge from said reservoir. In moving sleeve 0 past pins f the latter are pushed into their sockets in the well known manner and after the sleeve has passed, spring out behind.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the trough b is closed at its ends by walls I), and this trough not only serves to distribute the discharging contents of reservoir 1) evenly over the floor, but it also serves as a catcher or trap when the reservoir is in the full line position shown in Fig. 1, the substance that is in said trough when itis lifted with said reservoir, being returned through openings b into reservoir 1).

In Fig. 4 I have shown another form of reservoir wherein the trough b is hinged at b to reservoir 1) so that when not used as a trough it may be folded down upon reservoir I) over the outlets thereof to prevent evaporation of the contents of the reservoir. To secure the trough in its open position its ends walls b are springs and press onto the ends of said reservoir and by reason of the friction between them and said reservoir trough b is held ineither of its positions.

The head a of my improved brush is herein shown as made with a body of cotton waste upon its under side, suitable clamping means being provided to fasten it in place. In place of cotton waste any other suitable material may be substituted.

What I claim is;

1. A floor rubber, comprising a head, a handle fastened to the head, a reservoir provided with an outlet, swinging arms pivoted to the head and normally supporting the reservoir with the outlet upon the upper side, means for drawing to its upper position and controlling the position of the reservoir, all organized, substantially as described, to permit the reservoir to be moved bodily to a position at one side of the head with the outlet on one side of the holder.

2. A floor rubber, comprising a head, a handle fastened to the head. a reservoir provided with an outlet, swinging arms pivoted to the head, rigidly connected to and normally supporting the reservoir with the outlet upon the upper side, means for drawing to its upper position and controlling the position of the reservoir, all organized, sub stantially as described, to permit the reservoir to be moved bodily upon the pivoted arms to a position at one side of the head, the reservoir being turned on its axis as it swings, to bring the outlet to the under side of the head.

3. A fioor rubber, comprising a head, a handle fastened to the head, a reservoir provided with an outlet, swinging arms pivoted to the head and normally supporting the res ervoir with its outlet on the upper side, means for drawing to its upper position and controlling the position of the reservoir, all organized, substantially as described, to permit the reservoir to move bodily to a position at one side of the head with the outlet on the under side of the holder, and means to lock the reservoir at various angular positions to control the discharge from the outlet.

4. A floor rubber, comprising a head, a handle fastened to the head, a reservoir provided with an outlet, swinging arms pivoted to the head, rigidly connected to and normally supporting the reservoir with the outlet on the upper side, means for drawing to its upper position and controlling the position of the reservoir, all organized, substantially as described, to permit the reservoir to be moved bodily upon the pivoted arms to a position at one side of the head, the reservoir being turned on its axis as it swings, to bring the outlet'to the under side and means to lock the reser voir at various angular positions to control the discharge from the outlet.

5. A floor rubber, comprising a head, a handle fastened to the head, a reservoir provided with an outlet and with a trough adjacent said outlet, swinging arms pivoted to the head and normally supporting said reservoir above the head with its outlet on the upper side, means for drawing to its upper position and controlling the position of the reservoir, all organized, substantially as described, to permit the reservoir to be moved bodily to a position at one side of the head with the outlet on the under side of the reservoir.

6. A floor rubber, comprising a head, an operating ban- 7 dle for that head, a reservoir mounted above the head and having discharge apertures along its upper surface, swinging arms pivoted to the head and normally supporting the reservoir above the head, means to hold the pivoted reservoir normally in position above the head and means to draw it to itsnormal position from its lower position after it has been swung down to discharge its contents.

7. A floor rubber, comprising a head, an operating handle upon the head, a reservoir mounted above the head and having discharge apertures along its upper surface, swinging arms pivoted to the head and normally supporting the reservoir above the head, means to retain the pivoted reservoir normally in position above the head, a trough ad jacent the discharge apertures, and means to draw the pivoted reservoir to its normal position from its lower po sition after it has been swung down to discharge its contents.

S. A floor rubber comprising a head, an operating handle for that head, a reservoir mounted above the head and having discharge apertures along its upper surface, swinging arms pivoted to the head and normally supporting the reservoir above the head, means to retain the pivoted reservoir normally in position above the head and adjustable means to support the pivoted reservoir in several different angular positions between its normal position and its lower position, to vary the rate of discharge of its contents, and to draw the pivoted reservoir back to its normal position.

9. In a floor rubber, in combination, a reservoir having discharge apertures along one side, a hinged trough adjacent said apertures, the ends of said trough passing along the ends of the reservoir to adapt the trough to be folded on its hinges against the reservoir to cover and close the discharge apertures.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this third day of August 1903.

CHARLES O. QUIMBY.

Witnesses .TosnPH 'l. BRENNAN, GRACE E. GrnnoNs. 

